Low-pressure fluid-heating system.



PATENTED OCT. 22, 1907.

E. H. GOLD, LOW PRESSURE FLUID HEATING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.16, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED OCT. 22, 1907.

B. H. GOLD.

. LOW PRESSURE FLUID HEATING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED v swipes PATENT OFFICE. I

Bonner neon), oFon'IoAeo, ILLINoIs.

LOW-PRESSURE FLUID-HEATING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1907.

Application filed January 16,1966. Serial No. 298.325.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EGBER'I' H. (low, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Low-Pressure Fluid-Heating Systemi of which the following is a specification.

. system wherein the pressure and temperature of the car.

steam within the radiators are automatically controlled and the interior of eachcar maintained at a proper temperature regardless of conditions of weather or steam pressure in the train-pipe.

A further object of the present invention is to provide means whereby such parts of the system as are exposed to the outside temperature will be kept warm and prevented ironi becoming closed by the freezing of the condcnsed fluid therein.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a' system wherein the valve for manually shutting off steam from the radiating system is located beyond the point at which the pressure of the steam is reduced, whereby this valve is subjected to merely the lowpressure in the radiating system.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means whereby, when steam is shut off from the radiating system, the water condensing in the latter may find its way out through a drip-pipe which opens below the floor of the car.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are accomplished in the embodiment of my invention shown in the accompanying drawings.

In these drawings Figure 1 is a general view of my improved car-heating system as applied to one side of. a

Fig. 2 shows in vertical longitudinal section the valve used in this system. In this'figure' the valve is shown in its closed position. .Fig. 3 shows this valve in horizontal longitudinal section, the section being taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking downward. In this view the valvev is open to permit the passage of steam to the radiating system. Fig. 4 shows a horizontal longitudinal section through the valve, the latter being closed. Fig. 5 shows a section through the valve on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicatod by the arrows. .Fig. 6 is avertical sectional view oi the device for controlling the flow of steam into the system and for regulating the pressure therein. Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view of the same, the section being taken on the line 77 of Fig. 6, looking downward. I

In the several figures like reference characters indicate the same parts throughout.

Referring to Fig. 1, A is the floor of the car.

B is the train-pipe filled with steam at high pressure from the locomotive.

, O is the supply pipe branching from the train-pipe to one aided the car.

D is an automatic'controlling device for controlling the admission of the heating medium to the radiating system. This device is shown in section in Figs. 6 and 7, and, as here shown, is covered by my United States Patent No. 771,628, dated Oct. 4, 1904.

E is a pipe leading from the controlling device and conducting low-pressure steam, to the radiating system.

F is a manually operated valve to which the pipe E leads. This valve is shown in the sectional views,

Figs. 2,'3, 4 and 5, and will be described in detail below. Broadly speaking, this valve is adapted to provide, when in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, two passages therethroughi G is a pipe leading from the valve F to the radiating pipes H. 1

I is a return pipe leading from the pipes H baclt to the valve F.

J is a-pipe returning from the valve F to the controlling device D. The water of condensation normally flows through this pipe and the controlling device D to the outside air at a point below the floor of the car.

K is a drip pipe leading from the valve F to a point of discharge. A

'1 will now describe in detail the various parts of the apparatus and their action.- The controlling device D as shown comprises acasing 1 containing three chambers, a pipe 2 leading down'wardlyirom one of said chambers to a thermostatic casing 3. The casing 1 is divided by partitions into a high-pressure chamber 4, a low-pressure chamber 5, and an outlet chamber 6. Each of these chambers has a port opening thereinto. A valve 7, carried by a stem 8, is, arranged to control the fiow of steam from the high-pressure chamber 4 to the low-pressure chamber 5. Within the low-pressure chamber 5 is mounted a rocking-shait 9, one end of which extends into the outlet chamber 6. There is no direct communication between the low-pressure cham her 5 and the outlet chamber 6 whereby steam may pass from one to the other. The rocking-shaft 9 carries upon-one of. its ends an arm 10, working in the lowpressure chamber 5, and upon its opposite end an arm 11, working in the outlet chamber 6. The arm 10 engages the stem 8. The arm 11 engages a rod 12 which extends downwardly into the thermostat casing 3 and engages the thermostat 13. This thermostat may conand 20, open into the same from the opposite side.

With the connections arranged as shown the ports 17 and 20 are inlet ports and the ports 18 and 19 are outlet ports. A valve-piece 21, rotatably mounted in the chamber 16, is adapted, when in the open position, as

shown in Fig. 3, to establish communication between the ports 17 and 19 and at the same time to establish communication between the ports 18.'and 20, and to shut off ports 17, and 19 from ports 18 and 20. A convenient form of valve-piece designed to accomplish this is shown, and comprises a pair of disks 22 and 23 united by a perpendicular web 24, this web extending across the chamber 16 and constituting'a revolving partition therein. Whenthe valve-piece'gis rotated to the posi- 7 tion shown in Fig. 4 this partition 24 extends across the chamber 16 and" establishes communication between the ports 17 and 18 and at the same time establishes communication between the ports 19 and 29. The

valve-piece is provided with a stem 25 which extends upwardly through the top of the casing and is adapt ed to receive a handle 26, by which the valvepiece may be rotated. The top 27 oi the casing is removable and is provided with screw-threads adapted to engage screw threads upon the casing. A spring 28, seated against the top of the casing and thrusting against the valve -'-piece 21, holds the valve-piece to its seat in the bottom of the casing. The under side of the valve-piece is provided with a rib 29. The bottom of the casing is formed with a recess 30 into which the rib 29 is set. This recess 30in so shaped as to permit the valve-piece to rotate through one fourth of a complete revolution. The rib and recess thus form a stop to limit. the movement of the valve-piece in either direction. The disk 22 has an opening 31 therethrough 1 adapted, when the valve-piece is at the limit of its movement in one direction, to register with a port 32 which opens into the valve-chamber from the bottom of the casing. The drip-pipe K leads from this port 32.

With my invention embodied in the illustrative form of apparatus shown the operation will be as follows: Steam from the train-pipe B being admitted to the controlling device D the chamber 4 will be filled with the same at high pressure. The valve 7 will be forced open or will be open by reason of the weight of the stem 12, and steam will: flow into the low-pressure chamber 5, thence through the pipe E to the valve F. If thisvalve Fbe closed, as shown in Figs. 2 andl, steam will pass therethrough from the port 17 to the port 18 and will flow back to the controlling device D through the pipe .I. The outlet chamber 6 and pipe 2 will become filled with steam which will find its way to the thermostat-casing 3. The thermostat 13 will be heated by the steam and will expand raising the rod 12 and arm 11. This will rotate the rocking-shaft 9 and force the arm 10 down, thus closing the valve 7 and cutting off the flow of steam. When the temperature of the air or vapor surrounding thermostat 13 has fallen suffidiator will condense. permitting the water resulting from this condensation to find its way out so it may not freeze inside the radithermostat 13. By this means the controlling device is kept warm and the freezing therein of the water of condensation is prevented. Of course any sudden increase in pressure of the steam from the train-pipe will immediately cause the thermostat 13 to further expand, thereby further throttling the valve 7. It, now, the valve F be turned to the open position, as shown in Fig. 3, the steam from the pipe E, entering the valve by the port 17, will pass through the port 19 and' pipe G to the radiator H. After circulating in the radiator the steamwill be conducted back through the pipe I to the port 20 of the valve and will pass out through the port 18 to the pipe J and thence to the outlet side of the controlling device D. When the temperature within the thermostat chamber 3 approaches 200 (if alcohol is used in the thermostat) the thermostat 13 will begin to expand and the inflow of steam will be throttled. As. soon as the temperature in the chamber 3 falls below 200 Fahrenheit the thermostat will begin to contract, permitting the valve 7 to open and admit steam. In practice the valve 7 will remain practically stationary, being held open to a sufiicient degree to maintainthe steam in the radiator at the desired temperature. Any changes in the pressure of the train-pipe steam will, of course, be automatically compensated for, the valve 7 opening slightly or closing slightly as required. When the valve F is againturned to the closed position, as shown in. Figs. 2 and 4, the steam remaining in the ra- Provision must be made for ating system when the steam is shut off or the car is not 1 used for some time. This is accomplished by provid ing the valve-casing with a port 32 opening from the Qbottorn thereof, and: perforating the lower disk 22 of the valve-piece'21.

The perforation or passage 31 is adapted.- to register with the port 32 when the valve is closed. The water of condensation from the radiator H and pipes G and I finds its way by gravity through this passage and port I into the drip-pipe X. By this means the radiating system is kept drained and the accumulation of water therein when steam is shut off is prevented. It will thus be seen that when alcohol or any medium which boils at about the same temperature as alcohol, is used in the thermostat or flexible diaphragm chamber 13, the diaphragm chamber will begin to expand before the heating medium surrounding it has reached 212 Fahrenheit at atmospheric pressure or its equivalent at other pressures. Consequently the pressure within the radiating system between the controlling device D and the outlet from the system can never exceed substantially atmospheric pressure. For that reason the valve F may be of simple construction requiring no'packing and no extremely nice fitting because it is only subjectseems ed to atmospheric pressure, and anysteam which at at- I mospheric pressure may pass through the'valve when in closed position, would be so inconsiderable as to be entirely negligible, especially as it would quickly con dense and escape through the drip pipe K'. It will therefore be seen that by this arrangement the operation of my device is such that in place of the ordinary con trol valve used to shut off steam from theradiating systern of a car and which must be constructed to withstand steam at train-pipe pressure, I may use any suit able valve, 'sirhply constructed and without packing or nicefitting to merely shut off or divert steam or other heatingmedium at atmospheric pressure. Furthermore, since in shutting off the steam between'the auto always maintained at substantially atmospheric Euro.. Again, by this arrangement I am enabled to sup- -ply a carwith live steam which may be automatically maintained at atmospheric pressure, as disclosed in my previous patents, thus supplying a gentle and automatic h'eat regardlcssoi variations in the train-pipe pressure, and yet I may shutoff the steam from the radiating system, thus insuring a quick cooling of the car when desired, not only because the steam remaining in the pipes isat a low temperature, but also because by reason of the drip-pipe K I establish a complete circuit through the radiating system when the steam is shut off, and at the same time I provide for a quick heating of the car when the steam is again admitted by opening. the

valve 1i. Meanwhile, when the steam is shut off, in-

stead of the automatic device D being disconnected from the steam as in my previous patents and subjected to any possible freezing of the water of condensation as the steam remaining in the pipes gradually condenses and the water'of condensation slowly drips through the device, I shunt or shortcircuit the steam through the control device D so that itis always supplied with steam at atmospheric pressure so long as there is steam in the train-pipe.

While, for purposes of illustration I have shown in connection with my present invention that form of vapor regulator which is disclosed in my Patent No. 771,628, it will be readily understood from the above description that for the purposes of'my present invention v I it is not necessary that that particular form of controlling device be used, and it is also clear that some of the adheating, in which event the supply pipe I leading to the valve F will connect with the train-pipe without any intermediate controlling device and the discharge pipe E will lead to an automatic steam trap instead of to the automatic controlling device D Such modifications are so obvious as not to require special illustration. In the event of such modified construction it might, of course, be desirable to further modify the valve F in any familiar manner by the use of packing and the like so as to handle steam at high pressure. This, again, is a mere matter of shop expediency and mechanical detail, not affecting in any manner the merits of the invention, which consists primarily in interposing a control valve between thesupply pipe and the radiating system, so constructedthat when steam isshut off from the radian ing system, the flow of 'steam'will be short-circuited from the inlet or ieed'pipe through the control valve to an outlet-pipe, which may lead either to such a device as an automatic vapor regulator of the type shown, or to any suitable form of automatic steam trap controlling the discharge of the water of condensation from the radiating system. i i

I claim:

1. The'combinatldn with a radiating systempof a valve V interposed in said system, a thermostat adapted'to "opcrate said valve and means interposed in said system and .arranged when In one operative posltlon to direct the flow'ot heating fluld through the entire radiatlng system to sald thermostat and when in another operative position to direct the flow of said fluid to said thermostat without.

passlng through said entire radlatlng system.

2. 'The combination wltna radiating system, of means for supplying a heating fluid thereto, a valve arranged toclose the passage through said radiating system,-'a thermostat arranged to operate said valve and means an ranged when in one operative position to dlrect the flow of said, heating medium throughsald radiating systemto said thermostat and when 117. anbtheroperative position to direct the flow of said heating medium to said thermostat" without passing through said entire radiatlng system. e i

3. The combination wltha radiating systemfo'll a valve for controlling the inflow of a heating medliimf'a then mostat adapted to operate said valve, 2 valve'easlng having therein a movable valve-plece, sald valve-plece adapted, when at the llrnlt of Its movement ln one directlou, to establish communication from the controlling valve through the valve-casing to the thermostat, and adapted, when at the llmlt of its movement In the opposite dlrectlon. to establish communication from the controlling valve through a radiating system to the thermostat 4. In a fluid-heating system, the combination or. a valve for controlling the flow of a heating medium, a thermostat arranged to operate said valve,-a radlatlng 'system, a manually operable valve adapted, when in its open ,posi tion, to establish communication between the first-named' valve and the thermostat through the radiating system, and adapted, when in its closed position, to break sald communlcatlon and to establish communication between the fl'rstmamed' valve and the thermostat through said manually operable valve.

5. The combination with; a radiating system or a then mostatlcally-actuated controlling device adapted to control the dew ot the heating fluid for said system, means for conducting fluid from the controlllng device to the radlat lug system, meansin said conducting means adapted, when ln one operative position, to shut off the flow of fluld to the radiating system andto direct the flow 0! said fluid back to the controlling device and at the same thus to open the radiating system to 'the atmosphere, said means being also adapted, when in another operative position, to admit fluid to the radiating system.

6. The combination with a radiating system of a ther mostaticallvoperated controlling device adapted to regulate the flow of the heating fluld for said system, means for conducting flnld from said controlling device to said radlatlng system, means lnlsaidconducting means adapted, when ln one operative position, to shut oi! the flow of fluid to the radiating system and at the same time to open a drlp port leading from said radiating system, sald means being also adapted, when in another, operative position, to admit the fluid to one end of the radiating sys: tem and at the same time to establish communication between the other end 01' the radiating system and the controlling device.

7. The combination with a radiating system of a thermostatlcally-actuated controlling device adapted to regulate the flow of the heating fluid for said system, conducting means for conducting fluid from the controlling device to the radiating system, conducting means for conducting fluid from the radiating system back to the controlling device, and suitable means whereby communication may be established between the first-named conducting means and the second-named conducting means at a point in each between the controlling device and the radiating system.

8. The combination with a radiating system of an automatic controlling device adapted to regulate the fiow of the heating fluid for said system, a valve. a pipe leading from the controlling device to the valve. 21 pipe leading from the valve back to the controlling device. a pipe lead ing from the valve to the radiating system. and a pipe leading from the radiating system back to the valve, the valve being adapted. when in one operative position. to establish communication between the tirstmamed and second-named of said pipes. and when in another operative position to establish communication between the firstnamed and third-named of said pipes and at the same time to establish communication between the second-named and fourth-named of said pipes.

9. The combination with a radiating system, of a sup ply pipe leading thereto. a valve arranged to control the flow of a heating medium through the supply pipe, a thermostat arranged to operate said valve. a discharge pipe leading from said system to the valve operating thermostat. and valve mechanism arranged when in one position to establish communication from said supply pipe through the radiating system to the discharge pipe and when in another position to short circuit the flow of the heating medium from the supply pipe directly through said valve mechanism to the discharge pipe.

10. The combination with a radiating system, of a supply pipe leading thereto, a valve arranged to control the flow of a heating medium through said supplypipe, a thermostat arranged to operate said valve, a discharge pipe leading. irom said system to the valve operating thermostat, and valve mechanism arranged when in open position to establish communication from said supply pipe through the radiating system to the discharge pipe and when in closed position to short circuit the flow of the heating medium from the supply pipe directly through said valve mechanism to the dicharge pipe, and a drip outlet leading from said radiating system and arranged to be closed when said valve is in open position and to be open when said valve is in closed position.

11. The combination with a radiating system, of a valve controlling a port communicating with said system a thermostat to operate said valve. and a second valve arranged when in one position to admit a heating medium to said radiating system. and when in another position to shut off the radiating system and short-circuit the heating medium directly to said valve-operating thermostat.

12. The combination with a radiating system, of a thermostatic device arranged to automatically control the inflow of a heating medium to said radiating system, and a valve arranged to control the flow of a heating medium between said automatic device and said radiating system and adapted to shorl-circuit the heating medium directly back to the automatic device without passing through the radiating system.

13. The combination with a radiating system, of a valve for controlling the flow of a heating medium through said system, a thermostat adapted to operate said valve and means located between said valve and said radiating system, and arranged to establish communication between said valve and the-thermostat either through said means and the radiating system or through said means alone, as desired.

14. The combination with a radiating system. of an inflow controlling valve. thermostatic means adapted to operate said valve, and a valve located between the first named valve and the radiating system and arranged.

. when in one operative position, to direct a flow of fluid through the radiating system. and, when in another op crative position, to direct said how directly to the thermostatic means.

- EGBERT H. GOLD.

Witnesses Tnos. F. DUWNING, O. R. BARNETT. 

